I’m terribly sorry for being mostly MIA these last coupla weeks, and not in a good way. I’ve been all over the map, burrowing my way through a glut of writing assignments, and completely and totally camera-less. This fact was especially stingy through my recent Agent Ribbons tour… Those ladies know how to DRESS. We took Farmington, MO by storm, I tell you what!

Of course, I have been thinking about fashion. Always. And lately I’ve been thinking about bondage-inspired ankle boots. About.com asked me to write a few pieces for them and here is my latest.

In past decades, le dépêche mode (fast fashion) was our enemy when investing in the trendiest boots. Who wants to adopt an expensive trend that might stale at any moment? Ankle boots, however, have been huge for the last several years and show no sign of being set free from their prominence. In fact, the latest ankle boot trends show the opposite sentiment: a tendency towards bondage. If you’d like to dabble in this “fetish” without breaking the bank, here are my top 10 picks that feature a plethora of buckles, harnesses, straps, grommets, laces, studs, cuffs, and even cages. Let’s get chic!

1. Strappy Buckle Bootie – Overdose on buckles! Why not? These easy-entry suede boots with a back zipper are only $26.40.

7. Multi Strap Platform Bootie – Edward Scissorhands himself might covet this boot, Just imagine how nicely they would toughen up that floral body-con dress you thrifted last week.

GoJane.com, $31.50

8. Greta Wedge Boot – These boots are probably my tamest choice, but only because the last pair whipped them into submission. I reckon these beauties will still be chic next year, so you’ll get your $32.80 worth and then some.

Well hello.
Jeez Louise. I’m terribly sorry for not getting to update more often – the destinations have been sparse and oddly lacking in internets. Alas, this week has been an avalanche of merrymaking and one helluva lot of driving, all punctuated with writing deadlines, a few small dashes of heartbreak and bliss, interesting weather and imperishable sunsets. However, the craziest of things are swirling around my immediate future, so stick with me!

A Painfully Pithy Roadtrip update follows.

Agent Ribbons whisked me away from my jampacked week in Chicago for a quick and lovely stop in Farmington, MO where we scored some pristine vintage frocks (thanks, Unique Ink!) and then worked our way over to our current location, Kansas City. They put on a SHOW last night at O’Dowd’s – if there had been a stage, we’d have surely seen a crowd-surfing violinist.

Tonight we’ll be at the 75th St Brewery in Kansas City. I have some gorgeous Wingflash earrings for sale at the merch table (including some doozies from the Edie Sedgwick shoot), so come kill 3 birds with one stone and do some Chistmas shopping and drink some delicious beer, while watching birthday girl, Natalie warble her delightful cabaret-infused ditties. See you there!

And here are the Links a la Mode from IFB!

Links à la Stocking Stuffers

This week, as I’ve been getting geared up for the holiday season’s shopping ( both loving and dreading it) via Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I couldn’t help but compare the posts to stocking stuffers. Why? Because it felt like a nice, sentimental hodge podge of little items that although different, still fit together into the the bigger equation, hence my new phrase, “Links a la Stocking Stuffers!” Although I jest, I love the variety of posts this week, from how to style and what to wear including Retro Chick‘s guide to ’40s hair for holiday parties, CoolMamaStyle.com’s tuxedo jacket, The Coveted‘s adventures in Century 21 and What to Wear‘s Art Basel fashionable looks, to Prom Mafia‘s run in with Black Friday and SwaySwayAway‘s blissful tactics to keep your computer off on Cyber Monday.